State Transport Ministers to meet today

New Delhi, Jan 12 (ANI): A meeting of the State Transport Ministers will be held here today to solve the situation arising out of the truckers strike.

A State Transport Ministers” meeting will discuss the prevailing situation and steps required to ensure uninterrupted movement of essential commodities across the country.

The Central Government will take up the issue of national permit with the States and would emphasise that it would help in smooth inter-State movement of goods.

As the strike entered the eighth day today, All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) Vice-President Amolak Singh Bhatia said: “The strike is on, and the solution lies completely in the hands of the Government.

However, AIMTC officials said they would continue with the week-long strike till their demands were met. On Sunday, Brahm Dutt, Secretary, Road Transport and Highways, said that local transporters” associations have called off strike in many places including Pune (Maharashtra), Hasan (Karnataka), Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Gurgaon (Haryana).

He also informed that the representatives of All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners” Associations (AICOGOA), who are not participating in the strike, have assured their full cooperation for smooth movement of goods and commodities.

Dutt also informed that the strike has affected inter-State movement of goods, especially industrial goods, to some extent but supply of essential and daily use items has not been affected.

The Secretary said that all the grievances of transporters have been addressed in July last year when detailed deliberations were held with the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC). However, the striking transporters have been coming up with more and more demands, which are unreasonable and untenable.

Dutt also informed that the Government is in close contact with States/UTs to ensure uninterrupted movement of essential commodities across the country.

“States have been advised to keep contingency plans ready and invoke ESMA and NSA where required, so that supply of essential commodities is not affected. Several State governments have informed that they have prepared contingency plans to meet the situation,” he said.

Giving details of alternative arrangements to deal with the strike if it continued further, Dutt said that about 15-20 lakh trucks would be arranged by the States to ensure movement of goods across the country. (ANI)